Second annual 5K race will likely bring in over 1,000 runners

Runners in the Loveland Liberty 5K are encouraged to get as creative as they want with their patriotism on July 4.

Whether participants dress as Wonder Woman, Uncle Sam or some energetic guy with a giant American eagle affixed to a bandana, race director Jacob Fellure said it is all acceptable.

The second annual Loveland Roadrunners-sponsored race to celebrate Independence Day and support Life for the Innocent will start at 8 a.m. Thursday, July 4, at Grimm Brothers Brewhouse.

An Independence Day party will follow the race from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the brewery, with live music, beer and food.

The Loveland Laser Tag owner has donated the use of the facility for children during the race. For a small donation, parents will be able to drop off their children before they run.

A runner leads the charge during the Liberty 5K in 2012. This man ran with an American flag during the entire race.
(
Special to the Reporter-Herald
)

Fellure helped the brewers at Grimm Brothers create a specialty beer for the event called "Water of Life" -- "Life" because the money raised goes to help an organization called Life for the Innocent.

And the title, "Water of Life," is a story by the Brothers Grimm, which the brewery is all about.

During the first race in 2012, organizers expected 500 runners, said Nicole Fellure, Jacob's wife.

Instead they had 1,000 signups, which raised more than $12,000 for Life for the Innocent, an organization that rescues children in India and other countries from slavery and organ harvesting.

This year, the Fellures are expecting more registrations and more money raised.

Jacob said all employees of Life for the Innocent in the United States are volunteers, and the organization's overhead is very small in India, which means that all but 3 cents of every dollar goes directly to children in need for rehabilitation and adoption costs.

Jacob and Nicole Fellure also are paying attention to security during this race.

The Fellures were two blocks from the finish line at the Boston Marathon when two bombs exploded April 15. Nicole had finished the marathon about an hour earlier, and Jacob waited for her at a family meeting area.

"The day before, we went into Marathon Sports where the first bomb went off," Fellure said.

The couple at first thought they would meet down the street at Starbucks after the race, which is where the second bomb went off, he said. Instead, Jacob went to the first four innings of a Red Sox game before making his way to the end of the race.

"The whole thing was a lot of 'what ifs,'" he said.

Jacob said July 4 is a significant day in our country and could be a day to target. "We're a small town in Colorado, so are we really a target? It's not likely but possible. We don't want to be the race directors that are flippant about that, especially because of what we experienced," Jacob said.

If You Go

What: Loveland Liberty 5K

When: Registration starts at 6 a.m. Thursday, July 4. Race starts at 8 a.m. Kids' Fun Run is at 9 a.m. Awards are at 9:15 a.m. Independence Day party is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, 623 Denver Ave.

Cost: $30 preregistration before June 30, $35 after June 30. Register at active.com.

Info: Child care will be provided during the race for a small donation. Money will be donated to Life for the Innocent. Visit lovelandroadrunners.com for details about the club.

He said a team of friends and off-duty plainclothes deputies from the Larimer County Sheriff's Office will patrol during the race with concealed weapons. "They will be looking for things that shouldn't be there," he said.

An EMT vehicle will also be on hand, with a doctor overseeing a safety plan.

"We just have more of a focus on safety and security, but we're not going overboard and bringing in the National Guard," Jacob said.

"You just never know; there are so many unknowns," Nicole said. "To do a marathon like that where I trained for four months -- we were all so excited to go. He was taking pictures of me with the flower he gave me, we were celebrating, and then on the TV we started to realize what was going on."

The Loveland Liberty 5K is a day to celebrate freedom and enjoy family, and the Fellures are pleased to offer an event in the morning that people can experience before the festivities of the afternoon.

"It's not just a race but an event where people can come and have a good time," Jacob said.